Nearly a year ago, The Ledge was opened at the Willis Tower (previously known as the Sears Tower) for visitors to the Skydeck to experience the view in a whole new way.
While Detroit may not have the same architectural stock as Chicago, it is still impressive. Unfortunately, observation decks are a thing of the past in Detroit. A couple existed in the past, but are currently closed or accessible during building tours only.
Here’s a short list:
- Penobscot Tower – The 47th floor featured an observation deck but has been closed since 2005. There are some reports of visitors being able to access vacant floors near the top of the building.
- Guardian Building – While there is no official observation deck, the 32nd floor is an open ball room/event floor that you can visit only if you request a building tour.
- GM Renaissance Center – Coach Insignia on the 73rd floor offers the best 360 degree views of Detroit and Windsor. It’s not an official observation deck, but you can get into the bar pretty easily just by asking. You can take the glass enclosed elevator to the top of the building and enjoy the view from the bar.
The view from Coach Insignia is impressive and you can see the entire region around Downtown Detroit including Ford Rouge Plant, the New Center Area, and the radial street plan.
Are there any other observation decks in Detroit? Leave a comment and let us know or provide an update to the three I noted in this article.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
In the Cadillac Tower, you can go to the 18th floor and find the north stairwell door with no locks. I went up a few floors and pretty much every door had a lock on it. The stairwell has windows oddly placed in relation to the stairs. I’m not sure how high the stairs go, mainly because you can feel the building swaying and I’m not exactly the most fearless.
I’m not sure if there’s an official open area for the public to just look out the windows, but from the staircase, it offers great views of Comerica Park.
Thanks for the tip!